Jotul Black Bear Baffle performance upgrade

[@Netlife-001]

I was going to say .."I've got so much stuff it's not conducive to the massive 'gross oeuvre' (major) work that needs to be done. The fundamental stuff. Laying new floors (floors sagging) electrical rewire, layout changes and removal of the big red wall to left of fire, move the cellar steps, (under stairs) elsewhere, bathroom upstairs with just a loo sink and laundry room (maybe) to left of flu, incorporate a kitchen into the lounge area, while maintaining as much light as possible from side window. Lounge is also mass of passageways, with: front door, door to kitchen, access to stairs to first floor, to celler, to new toilet. It's by far and away the hardest house to design improvements I've ever known. One small window in south wall, none in west east, so many passages. Still, the baffle upgrade is a winner so that's a start. The extra insulation (vermiculite) get the firebox superhot. Another possible improvement may be to decouple the transverse air bar and feed it seperately, with intakes much closer to the actual bar. (drill feeder holes in sidepanels) See how it performs as is first though as not something to do on a whim. The fire runs nice with door open, zero smoke in room and throws out a ton of heat and ambiance, a much slower burn when closed though, and sides and top tend to run hotter. Better to leave the door open when fire heading down from burn cycle. I'll do another video of it running and take some heat measures with the Lidl supermarket probe (only about 30 euros, very good quality). As mentioned in clip, from the one run I've done with this tile in place the top cook plate temp was up between 80 and 50 degs centigrade hotter. (which translates as faster to bring water to the boil, and more heat output if not using to cook on), Side plates 300 deg c.

[@wobdeehomestead]

How did that tile work out? Keep an eye on your flue temps you don’t want to rob too much heat from your flue, could cause creosote.

[@Netlife-001]

Hi, funny u say that, I decided to move fire back 50cm, and began to take it apart last week to do so. Opening up the flu I found the sections fairly filled with crud; a lot of buld up of sooty deposits - easy to remove, not enamailed creosote type stuf. Sooty, semi solid. By the time it got to last 1 meter tube that runs into the stainless flu liner a lot cleaner Been on hold since but i'll clean flu and post how clean. Funny you leaving comment though, I was thinking the am, five+ days after I took the fire apart ... wouldn't it be better to have a cast iron plate in the top box? Or maybe nothing at all? The cooking plate definately got hotter with the tile in place when measured with a heat temp gun.

[@wobdeehomestead]

@@Netlife-001 I noticed you have a very long run of horizontal pipe before it enters the chimney? That’s probably why you have a lot of build up in that section. I would either try to reduce that horizontal section or make sure there is a good rise in it to keep the draft going good. Not sure on that extra baffle plate I think I’d just leave it out and not risk damage to the stove with excessive heat.

[@Netlife-001]

@@wobdeehomestead I am reducing the horizontal run, not because of flu crud build up, rather just where fire is in room. I want to move it back about a foot. I may take out a 90deg from the circuit by having flu exit on top of stove top plate instead of via the rear of back plate..more practical in a way as u can cook/use the space on top of the stove to dry etc. but probably a lot more efficient to have hot gas going directly vertical, up 4 ft before 90 degs to take it to wall. A concrete ring (doughnut) to stock that heat as it enters flu would be a good addition. U could run a copper coil thru the concrete I should make another vid and explain this... But situation is: That back wall has: a window, the flu, and a wc needs to go there. I should have installed a T three years ago, when I cut into the stainless chimney flu. Instead I just cut tube, and pulled end through wall. This means to clean flu liner must do from this area, not cellar. This means placement of wc / washing machine/laundry/shower along that back wall compromised...as u need to be able to clean flu (I pass 6 rods into it to get to top). So really I need to break the wall enough to get a T inside Do that, then I could have either a low ceiling in Wc/laundry area, and just pull the two 1 meter pipes from the T, then ram clean flu from cellar.

[@John-wr6yo]

I have this stove,it is junk,it was mostly made to look at. It dosent hold fire very long. I also have the original stove like this and it is superior to the black bear.

[@Netlife-001]

@@John-wr6yo They have to be run right. I hear what you're saying about the originals without the twin secondary air tubes. Enamelled, with the woodland scene, 'basic' design that stood the test of time. I like them but can't make a comparison as unlike you I've never tested one. I might buy one if I come across one though. For sure they had plenty of cracking issues in the side plates. I can say this Black Bear design works well when you run it right. And as above with earlier design cracking issues, that's the key to this fire, running it right. There may have been some 'off the hoof thinking' in the design of the delivery of the 2ndary air system (quick response to possibly comply with any upcoming US emissions changing). Also, the fact it was taken off sale relatively quick - I think it came out around 2005/6. By the time they were getting the baffle plate cracking issues maybe they said let's just forget about this heath robinson emissions solution and come up with a from scratch design, by 2012 ish. But it just needs to be run right. But as people want an idiot proof stove ... something has to go. And in this case it was a win for the idiots and a loss for those who appreciate the cigar burn and the large surface area of radiation and long burn time. It's also very practical as you can completely dismantle the fire and move it about easily. (I use fibreglass insulation to make the fire airtight. If I ever set it up 'for good n all' i'd 'silicone gun' the joints with fire clay., but point is you don't have to.) The cast iron in the fire is good. It's not 'cheap $hit'. This year I'm burning split 60cm logs. It runs a long time, gives out a lot of radiation, and my cats love it! It holds hot coals to the following morning no problem. My own model had been abused. The top baffle warped and split. I don't run it with the front horizontal shorter air crossbar. The plates too warped for it to fit snug. I haven't bothered ordering a new plate as ... I already overpayed for the fire! Should have haggled the price down to 450 instead of paying 600. The side plates are ok though, firebrick at the back good + air tubes ok. Top plate not so great for cooking on, gets to about 150 degrees average. Still, good enough to fry an egg or make a slow cook stew. Modern fires today mostly use lightweight refractory lined burn chambers that take 1 foot (30cm) logs. They rely on radiation through the large front glass, and some convection from the top. They are efficient, but you need to charge more often, and the burn chamber is fragile as it's easy to damage the lightweight brick. They don't have anywhere near the latent heat capacity of this type of fire, which will be still radiate heat 6 hours after you put a couple of split 2 foot logs on the bed of coals from previous burn.